bad blogger, bad, bad!

ummm, well, yes I know it's been a while... The little thing called 'life' became a bit more important than my attempts at painting and blogging and decorating and craftiness and such. 

will you take me back? oh  I hope so! I will try to be better! I am going to start out slow, and just be up front with you - I will not be able to post daily. As much as I want to, I can't.  I have a full plate (and I know lots of you do) but I am not the super-do-it-all gal I once was.

I have been painting a bit and doing a few things around the house. I'd like to show you a little arrangement I did recently.  I got bored with my wall.  I made an attempt to add a little jazz - what do you think?

this 'before shot isn't the best - but it's all I could find...

 and here is what it looks like now

thanks for stopping by!

commissioned art pieces

This is not all the pieces, but I thought I would share with you some pieces that an owners of a 'pet spa' asked me to do for the cool business they have.  It was fun to work on these pieces!  And I actually did a few of these in smaller sizes and magnets and sold them at an art fair later. (they ALL sold! yay!)

green dog

yum

fresh catch

detail of fresh catch

kwazy kat

puppy love

this pieces was the largest measuring at 8 feet by 4 feet

more of the detail of the piece titled camp out

got a bit to finish on the dog on the right, right now he is just a floating head...

the finished piece!!

It has been a while since I've done this much art and seeing these fun pieces makes me miss sitting down in my dungeon, basement, makeshift studio to see what flows from my paintbrushes.  Little guy was smaller and slept more, so there was more time to do pieces like this. Now it is really fun to see what HE paints! And sometimes he even helps with furniture painting...so far so good!
It's cool to have a rock 'n roll, artist, pirate, dragon,dentist, astro boy, batman on my hands - wonder what he'll think of next?!

Thanks for being here and looking at some of my whimsical art!  I REALLY APPRECIATE you taking time to stop by and would LOVE to read your comments...

Favorite Things

I'll admit when we moved from Nashville to Birmingham, we basically placed some of our furniture/art objects where the previous owners had theirs.  Not real creative, not original, but baby boy was just shy of one, hubs had to get back to work immediately and life just didn't slow down long enough for us to do anything except live it!  SO, move forward we did! 

Coming up on three years - our decor is much the same! blah-blah-lottie-da!  

I do have some lovely pieces collected over the years - not all are creatively or prominently arranged, displayed or even given the love & respect deserved, in my opinion.  And I still collect - just not like I once did... 

Browsing at all the great blogs and magazines, seeing beautiful arrangements of art and furniture, I started missing things I haven't seen, ummmm, since we moved.  So I dug through a few boxes - spoke sweetly to some of my favorite items, and promised them that one day soon I would get my mojo back, and they would come to live with me again!  They are not so happy in the dungeon basement. Here a a few of my favs that I DO get to see here & there around the house.  Hope you enjoy looking at them!  And I am curious about some of your favs - share them & the stories with me/us...

artisan made mirror 'Vain Aroma' picked up in a gallery in Knoxville, TN (I can't read the artists name, sorry)

funky tin art purchased in a tiny store off the beaten path somewhere between Huntsville, AL & Franklin, TN

a metal frame that my brother made for me!  I saw one in a store with a price tag that didn't speak to me (like over $200). I explained this over the phone and in less than a week he brought it to me!!  {LOVE IT} oh the 'art' inside the frame is from a magazine - I just cut it out and placed it there with a tiny dab of tape - I did this out of sheer excitement the moment my brother handed it to me! The mag just happened to be on the chair beside me!

antique dress form, still in pretty good condition, and the watercolor behind it both picked up at fleas

the bottom of the dress form

tiny Etsy art - when Etsy first came to be (sorry I can't remember the artist).  It reminded me of art by Lynn Whipple whom I met several years ago at a show in Nashville, TN

this tea pot is by artists that I love, Jennifer & Mark Hatfield. I have a few pieces, this one was picked up at an arts & crafts show - can't remember where...

Scott E. Hill - wow! what an artist!!  I have a few of his paintings and can I just say I {LOVE} his work?! This is titled "Reflections" and is two little birds in a boat at dusk...

another arts & crafts show find - great little vase - unknown artist

"be where you are"  this is what made me buy it...

frames are a weakness of mine, I spend waaay too much on frames (issues?!) This is by an artist that I love and have had the pleasure of meeting.  Jill is so talented, and I am lucky to have many of her pieces of art (jewelry, frames, paperweights - see, issues!)  The actual pic is my Mom and one of her (5) sisters

I

I can't help it, I remember such non-important things!  You don't 'have' to read all the captions, but it was neat for me to remember people, places, etc... and I am good with sharing.  I have fun collecting, ok, I have fun doing just about anything!!

this is driftwood - yes, driftwood!  look at the detail the artist had to work with and the detail she put into it!  I {love} this piece of sculpture - there is such character to it!  Got it in NY on a buying trip (gotta love wholesale!) many years ago...

the artist is Lynn Muir, I think she is in the UK

boobs, she even put on boobs...

she stands alone, and the hair is always blowing :)

the wording - something else I love about art..

my tea set - hand made in Brazil. the handles are wrapped in leather

cuteness!  garage sale!

this hangs in my little guys room near his bed.  a solid wood, hand carved and painted piece by an artisan with the team of Sticks

my funky little angel that watches over me at the kitchen window!

Droll cake stand and a few fav cookbooks (I love Droll items, and have a few of these fun pieces)

ahhh, Cat & Mouse!  my cheese board that I think is so whimsical!

this is awesome art by the very talented Michael Aram

love the details on all the pieces!

cat, mouse, cheese - I laughed then, I laugh now!

pretty & heavy solid wood HEART - flea mkt, I think...

detail of a silver (real, not plated) tray that I picked up in my neighborhood -- at a sale I didn't even know was happening -- until I was driving to the grocery store!!

so heavy and in excellent condition! I almost feel like a thief, it was so cheap, such a good deal!

hand stitched green truck - this is in my little guy's room (from a previous post)

I love art!  There is so much! And so many artist!  Art is a great fabric, a wonderful line on a pieces of furniture or a wonderful chip in the wood on another piece.  Art is soft, metal, quirky, sophisticated, funky, wood, fiber,, you know what I am saying, right?  And for me, more than anything else I think, it is a matter of 'feelings'.  Whether from a deep heart moving emotion, a piece that makes you laugh, one that takes you 'there', or the little 'high' we get from the find!  I am never offended if someone doesn't particularly care for something I have in my collection - it's like elbows and eyelashes - everyone has 'em and they are all different!  I am secure enough in my whimsical, elegant, kooky, expensive, bargain taste, thankyouverymuch!

 Linking up at

        

⚜ ↁℯℬℬᴵℰ⚜ at Debbiedoos

http://thehillsarelivin.blogspot.com/

http://www.findingfabulousblog.com/2011/02/frugalicious-friday_17.html 

http://www.thethriftyhome.com/ 

Woody, Buzz, Jesse - my Toy Story Art

My little guy is obsessed loves all things Toy Story; and I'll admit all three are great movies and the toys are cute.  Just sometimes I am over it with the jumble of every toy (Toy Story, Diego, Batman, Backyardigans, Super Why) & color & size and no real scheme to making all of these fit into something, well, uhhh, pleasing to the adult eye??
Don't get me wrong I love an eclectic look.  Not a "wow, that looks flea market" or a "does she ever organize the child's play area" look. I am always looking for things to grow with him in his bedroom and currently temporary playroom.  And I have a space that needs another piece of art in his bedroom.
We don't have a 'theme' in my little guys bedroom - he has a sleigh bed, a dresser, nightstand and lovely art.  It is not an adult looking room, but it doesn't scream toddler either.  One of the most expensive pieces of art in his room (in our home) is an original, hand-stitched, painting by Valgardur Gunnarrson; a remarkable artist in Iceland.  (I was lucky to have purchased this many years ago when he had a show at a gallery in Nashville, TN.) 

 And in his 'play' area, practically anything goes for now.  Oh no, we have designated the once formal (personally I have never liked a formal living room, must I wear Dior or Valentino just to sit in there? not my style) living room as his 'Play Room'!
Yessssireee, right when you walk in our door BAM! Playroom!
My child and his ability to play, grow, learn wins out over my vanity to have a lovely, tiny bit glamorous, magazine worthy house, much less a room.  (I haven't the courage to post pics of the BAM! Playroom! -- yet...)
SOO! what I will do is post this little piece of that I did to go in his bedroom.  Thanks Stephanie!

It all started with these

to get to this!

spray the little fellas with this

so they look like this

I used equal parts of the staining antiquing and dark burnt umber and a few drops of the metallic champagne

using an artists paintbrush, heavily coat with the mixture, getting in all the groves, crevices

then with a sponge brush, wipe away excess, leaving enough dark for details to pop

I painted an old frame and used a mat from another old pic

the depth of the frame

left over candy - who wants it?

What do you think?  Are you going to do one for your kiddo, a friend?  Or do you want me to do it for ya? :)


(Maybe soon, I'll post the 'playroom' - it needs a makeover - maybe you can help by making suggestions!)

I love comments!  Leave me some comment love!  Thanks for stopping by!

And do stop by Stephanie's blog!!! She is awesome, sweet and soo very talented!